Massive Turnout for Prop 8 Protests

CNN Late Edition Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Prop 8. Some hope - Schwarzenegger says the Supreme Court justices could overturn Prop 8. "I learned that you should never, ever give up." (Via Wockner)

The turnout for the weekend's Prop 8 protests was massive. From Salt Lake City and up and down California, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Prop 8. Between this turnout and the statement by Gov. Schwarzenegger above, there is reason to hope.

San Francisco
The San Francisco march saw one of the largest Prop 8 protests to date. Crowd estimates run as high as 25,000. (Via Joe.My.God) "We're not going to do nothing, we're going to start with a march tonight but we're not going to stop until we have equality again!"

Pink News reports:

In excess of 15,000 people are marching through San Francisco to protest at the passing of Proposition 8, the voter initiative in California that effectively bans gay marriage have admitted defeat. Organisers said: "We are protesting tonight in San Francisco because it was in San Francisco that the California Supreme Court gave equality to all Californians, and many people who helped us get to that point are based in San Francisco."

Los Angeles
Wockner writes: "Some 13,000 protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles' Silver Lake district Saturday evening, as large demonstrations continued across the state against Proposition 8 . . . "

365Gay.com writes:

We marched up to Wilshire Boulevard, and sat down again. It was getting toward rush hour in Los Angeles, and we were essentially an unscheduled parade on a major traffic artery. It was sort of like walking up to O’Hare airport on Thanksgiving and mentioning that we’d be taking over a couple of runways for the weekend. Were we really going to do this? Yup.

San Diego
More from Wockner: In San Diego, between at least 7,000 (police estimate) and 10,000 people marched against Proposition 8 today in San Diego, from Hillcrest, the primary gayborhood, to North Park, the secondary gayborhood -- a distance of about two miles.


Salt Lake City
The Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Opponents of a measure that banned gay marriage in California took their outrage to the spiritual hub of Mormonism on Friday.
More than 3,000 people swarmed downtown Salt Lake City to march past the LDS temple and church headquarters, protesting Mormon involvement in the campaign for California's Proposition 8. The measure, which defined marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, passed this week.
A sea of signs in City Creek Park, where the march began, screamed out messages including, "I didn't vote on your marriage," "Mormons once persecuted . . . Now persecutors," and "Jesus said love everyone." Others read, "Proud of my two moms" and "Protect traditional marriage. Ban divorce."

New York City
The Prop 8 NYC Protest Facebook page has more info on the upcoming NYC protest:

Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters are in the streets in California and Salt Lake City and around the country protesting the votes banning same-sex marriage in California. Join them! Make your voices heard right here in New York City. We will tell the Mormon Church how we feel about its relentless campaign to condemn and control our lives. Join us in speaking out against hate and discrimination! Stop them taking away your rights!